Tagged With "award flights"
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Re: Is it time to regulate airplane seats? Chris Elliott thinks so!
This debate seems to accept that the profit margins of Trans-Atlantic Flights are squeezed by costs outside the carriers control. The only solution they have is squeeze more seats in to control income. Last month I paid £759 ($1245) for 1 seat UK to Philadelphia - Return - with an American Airline. 7 hours in the sky. Each way. My £759 will also get me a flight to the Caribbean from the UK. 10 hours in the sky. 14 nights in a hotel. Food and drink included. And flight back. The Caribbean...
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Re: Ryanair Ticketing through agents; codeshares next?
"Will the future take you on an American Airlines flight ...crossing the ocean and Ryanair taking you from there?" I rarely say "never" but, in this case, never. I've tried it and will say unequivocally, never again. I have a personal rule which states, "if the only way to get there is on Ryanair, I won't go there." The airline is a reflection of it's founder, which is to say, trashy.
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Re: Fares to Europe for as Low as $301 Round Trip Total!
Prices for Oslo in June were not that much more than winter ones.I'll have to check if the Oakland -Stockholm is similar. If I were to travel to Stockholm in winter though,i 'd just get a return budget flight to somewhere warmer in Europe.
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Re: What do travelers like least about airlines?
I was thinking about what I like least about airlines and it's really the lack of info some airlines supply you with. I recently had two good flights on American Airlines. One from Atlanta to Phoenix and then a connector plane to Tucson. So you'd think that would be a positive experience. During my short layover in Phoenix though , American Airlines changed gates of my plane at least 4 times, having passengers move to gates and await various countdowns.The flight was only delayed about an...
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Re: What do travelers like least about airlines?
The thing I like least is when something goes wrong. Of course you can expect things to go wrong sometimes. But I really hate the B.S. reasons you get told. And if your flight gets cancelled then you really become an unwelcome guest.
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Re: How to Sleep in the Air
They key would be to lie flat, I think. If you've an extra $5000 kicking around, you too can have a great transcontinental business flight, complete with a lie-flat bed.
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Re: Heads Up for Travelers: Iceland's Volcanoes May Disrupt Travel Again
There can be an up side to travel during an eruption. My plans proceeded during the 2010 eruption and the first result was a southern route to Rome and a spectacular view of the Pyrenees, flying parallel to them. I learned how big those mountains are, had had no idea. After arrival in Rome I immediately booked sleeper compartment tickets from Budapest to London (already had Rome-Budapest), to replace the flight I'd booked. As it transpired, the flight ban was over by the time I got on the...
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Re: Finally an airline does it right! Larger overhead bin
Larger carry-ons won't be allowed. Just more of them. If you are among the last folks on a long flight (say to Hawaii) now, your carry-on will be checked as there is not enough bin space. People need to be cautious about taking stuff out of a bin -- that doesn't change with more or less bags in them.
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Re: Canada: See it all while you're young (Summer Rail Passes)
A one way flight from Vancouver to the east coast of Canada might run you $700.00. Remember, you're talking about distance of almost 4000 mi/6000 km between Vancouver and Halifax. Travels north towards the Yukon and NWT are also expensive, so if you will actively travel for 2 months, this is a good value.
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Re: Planes taking off at LAX
Fascinating...even in detail. At first I thought to myself, this can't be all: I only see one American flight. Then I noticed that only the one with the new striped tail paint leaped out; several in the old livery are just below it. Says something about bold designs! I still suspect this is not a whole day, as some busy carriers are barely represented, but what show!
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Re: New trend: airport lounges for non-members
Twice I've used a commercial lounge at the Hong Kong Airport. After the long transpacific flight, nothing is nicer than a shower and a quiet place to stretch out before going on. I'm surprised it's taken so long for the concept to catch on in the US.
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Re: New trend: airport lounges for non-members
It is a pleasure, as well, when making early morning connections in Europe. I've had lounge access through various credit cards for the past few years and truly enjoyed breakfast in a lounge while waiting for the next flight, and even the ability to doze a little, knowing that a) the seat is comfortable, b) my bag is safe and c) the agent at the desk will remind me it's time to walk to the gate! Even at $35 a pop...likely worth it.
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Re: New trend: airport lounges for non-members
A little pampering after a long flight, especially in steerage, is a good investment in my opinion. While I haven't used these lounges a lot, they make great sense if you have many hours of waiting between flights, even at a fee.
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Re: World's 10 Best Airports? Maybe...
I don't want Restaurants or a shopping experience at my airport. I want to check in and go as soon as possible. I don't like being overcharged for something I don't want by an airport that insists on holding me hostage for 3 or 4 hours. My worst experience was JFK for 3 days when my flight was cancelled. Like Rob, if you get me away in under an hour of arrival I'm happy. Liverpool has destinations all over Europe.
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Re: Air Canada Launches Free Layover Program in Toronto
I'm not sure why they're limiting it to people from the USA. Vancouver to Toronto is a 5 hour flight. A layover might be enjoyed by people traveling overseas. A few months ago a dedicated train service from Pearson airport to downtown Toronto began and this has greatly improved access to the city. And also reduced the cost of reaching downtown dramatically. http://www.metrolinx.com/en/pr...press/upexpress.aspx
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Re: Economy Ticket, Private Jet!
In the spirit of one-upmanship, same number of passengers, bigger plane, I was once one of 2 passengers on a Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco. It wasn't the advantage I thought it might be as all the flight attendants just went to sleep, so no service rather than personal service. It was a long time ago but memorable enough that I still remember the airline.
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Re: SkyMall's Business Dwindles With Increased Internet Usage In-Flight
It would be a shame if they went out of business. I've always found looking at their catalog of things I can live without, but which are highly entertaining, make a long flight pass by.
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Re: AirBerlin's new fares: JustFly, pretty cheap
I've seen comments elsewhere that their international service took a long time to shake off the discount heritage (maybe that wasn't a good idea for them?) and that they seem now like a "standard" airline. I'll let you know my answer in July; we're on a July 5 JFK-Berlin flight (an A330) and then a week later to Vienna (I believe that one's an A320).
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
When you arrive at your departure airport set your watch to your destination time. Sleep as much as you want to on the flight. Wear headphones to avoid being woken - listen to some smooth tunes on your MP3. Take snacks and bottled water. Don't eat big meals before and during your flight. Take a puzzle book to keep your mind active while you are awake. Take a pee long before they put the seat belt sign on for landing. (Waiting too long in line for Immigration when you're busting makes you bad...
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
Some people claim the newer generations of jet-liners, like the Boeing 787, will reduce jet lag because they allow higher humidity in the cabin and higher air pressure (more oxygen). In fact that was discussed right here on a TravelGumbo during an interview with Norwegian Air . A few more points. I try not to have more than one or two connections on any flight, especially on overseas trips (for people traveling from small cities, this can be challenging). I find the fatigue factor clouds my...
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
You're quite right DrF ! Usually when I return on a long flight the cabin is like a Doctors waiting room. Coughing and sneezing and spluttering. Headache. But the Dreamliner was - a dream ! So much healthier and with the windows darkened 'til just before breakfast - most people slept well - even the babies on board
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Re: Airbus logs #9000, an A321 for VietJetAir
DrF, I admit that I used to worry about too few engines...but of course, the plane is designed so it can fly safely with one. Or so they tell us. That reassures me a little...almost enough to overcome my belief (which I only believe while waiting for takeoff) that flight of such a huge and heavy thing is totally impossible and I'm going nowhere but the end of the runway. Every take-off and landing seems a miracle, although I'm not among those who clap on landing.
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
We've developed an easy-to-use method of avoiding jet lag. Instead of changing sleep and/or lighting schedules days before your flight, simply fast for ~16 hrs before your first full meal at your destination. This calculator can help you plan: jetlagcalc.com Happy travels everyone!
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
Thanks for the information, JetLagCalc. I'll give your method a try the next time I go on a long flight. Do you find hydration matters? Can you drink a lot of water?
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Re: Beating Jet Lag
I always change my watch as soon as I get on the plane. I do this even with a short change (like 1 hour NY-CHI). I try to adjust my sleep to the destination - so when it is bed time (around midnight) I will take a "PM" pill to help on a long flight. When I get to my destination I will immediately get on that day's schedule, do as much as possible and and get to sleep at as close to my regular time ( again, with the help of a sleep aid if needed).
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Re: Family kicked off flight
The most interesting part of the article, to me, was the identification of which language each of the people quoted was speaking...and apparently their words were not falling on deaf ears. Except for the tone-deaf parents (and I'm not usually a parent-basher) who apparently allowed their 3-year-old to decide what rules apply. They should have turned their attention to buckling the child in, and not to arguing with the flight attendant. Perhaps, like the anti-vaccination crowd, they think...
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Re: Airports, Airlines battle over passenger fees
What I dislike are when fees are not used for what they're charged for. If airport improvement fees really are used to fix up and improve airports, I think most consumers are fine with that. But when they just get put into the general revenues of a city's cash pool, that bugs most of us. What a find far more unreasonable than this are the fees to change or cancel a flight. Often they approach or exceed the value of a ticket. That's really gouging the consumer.
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Re: As scheduled Cuba service nears, charter operators face unknown future
On leaving Cuba last year our flight home to the UK was delayed. We had to wait on the plane for 4 hours. The airport had run out of Jet Fuel A1. So a fuel tanker was dispatched to fetch some. I do hope the US embargo stops before I go again. I'm not fighting American Airlines for the last drop of Jet Fuel !!
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes
I flew on Spanish budget carrier, Vueling, this past spring. It was a pleasant enough flight, but the aircraft had the tightest pitch of any airline I've ever been on. The pocket in the seat in front of you, where magazines and the air sickness bag are stored, was removed to allow for crowding of rows and even my knees were wedged in tightly to the seat back in front of me (seats couldn't be reclined, for obvious reason). I'm not sure how a seriously tall person could ever fit in.
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes
Which airline, Garry? I'll be interested to compare in a couple of months; in July we'll be on AirBerlin's A330 NYC to Berlin...and I'm hoping for comfort. My wife's cousin, who's logged more passenger miles than most pilots have flight miles, has advised us to give up our window preference for aisle-and-aisle, across from each other...
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes
Thomas Cook charter flight Paul. I think they give 31" per seat. (Says on my ticket) So I've gone for the extra space.
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Re: Budget airlines pushing seat squeeze on new planes
Thomas Cook do charter flights - they sell you a complete vacation. Hotel, food, car rental, adventure tours from your hotel and flights. Probably find something in there that's not up to scratch. But complain ? No... not I. I'm looking forward to your report from Berlin. Maybe we'll do a long weekend from Liverpool to Schoenefeld (nr. Berlin) Easy Jet do it for £25 - £45 each way. And for that price I'll sit on the wing for 2 hours !! Would TravelGumbo sponsor you to write a report on this...
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air
In one of Norwegians press releases they do raise an interesting question. "Why should a flight between New York and Europe cost three times as much as a flight between New York and Los Angeles? The flight to Europe is only about an hour longer, sometimes even less." I've noticed flights to Asia from Europe are sometimes two to three times as cheap versus flights from the US to Asia and they have roughly the same flight time.
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air
Lasse could well be correct on the Jet Lag. The air was fresher on the Dreamliner. The Captain decided when night fell by using the window dimmers. Same with sunrise. I can get a flight - UK to Australia - 23 hours - for the same price as UK to New York - 7 hours. Trans Atlantic flights have been price-rigged for years.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo, #104
Oh but no my friend GarryRF, a real maid is never truly undone until the true nature of her flight is revealed to all!
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Re: A Price War over Trans-Atlantic? TravelGumbo interviews Norwegian Air
I recently saw a cheap fare from Norwegian posted on The Flight Deal website. What struck me is what they said in the post (below) and how it really demonstrates the same Skytrain price matching problem . I do think consumers have to think that if they choose the legacy carriers price match ,instead of Norwegians, there might not be these lower fares in the future that Delta or United will match. " Norwegian is a low cost carrier so they will charge you for everything – advanced seat...
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Re: How do occupy your time while flying?
I am an obsessive looker out of the window! Seeing other planes is a comfort, hey we're not alone up here, watching for the first, faint glimmer of dawn on a night flight, being amazed at how big- and empty- some parts of the world are. By the time I have figured it all out it is 'trays up, lights on and let's et ready to land time!
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Re: United, Air China sign up new codeshares
Good to hear. I just took an Air China flight and the airline has some good points for the longf distance budget traveler, like free meals and free video options.
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Re: U.S. plans big increase in "pre-clearance" sites
That’s especially true for high-volume areas like Heathrow…I’d far rather use my waiting time there to be cleared than have to spend extra time waiting AFTER my flight at JFK!
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Re: Flight Reviews are Here and Growing
I've been using Expedia a lot this past month and I have found the flight reviews useful and it's already had an impact on my purchases. Scores vary widely for different routes on the same airlines.
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Re: Waived Booking Fees on AA Award Travel
Really good news, because some of those partner flights are hard to book online even when you know they exist. This should make it easier to make connection to a number of areas in Europe without having to do Heathrow...
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Re: Visiting Cuba.
It's similar rules for people like me coming from the Caribbean into Cuba. I flew via Panama and I was surprised how easy the process was entering Cuba given some horror stories I have heard. I planned my entire trip, thankfully with the help of locals. The only stress was getting an internal flight from Santiago back to Havana before we arrived (which I tried to do the minute we arrived). After a week of trying I finally scored the last two seats on the last flight out before our connecting...
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Re: Airline scheduling: Hurry up and wait, or run like crazy?
Fascinating piece, PHeymont. And I've noticed how tight they are making these connections. For example, in Europe we had connections scheduled 50 minutes from the plane's landing, assuming it was on time. We were definitely running, and it seemed everyone else at Schipol was as well. We made the connection, but I'd rather have an extra hour for a more relaxed transfer. I'm like you -- book a direct flight if possible, even with a premium, and look carefully at where and how long those...
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Re: Do Airlines offer the Best Loyalty Rewards Programs?
Agreed, especially if you are clever enough to find a great back door to use your points the way you like. I think the point of the video was that your hotel gives you a lot more for the money you spend there than airlines do. I use a generic rewards card in Canada that builds up a dollar amount of bonus. I buy the hotel, flight, car rental I want and the money is returned to me. That way it's simple and easy.
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Re: Brits still in love with long-haul holidays
I can get an 11 hour flight from the UK to Cuba, Airport transfers, All inclusive Resort on the Beach and evening Entertainment. 2 weeks in June. Same price as I pay for a return Flight only to New York - 6 Hours. $1250 US. I'll be responsible when the UK Prime Minister gets the Train from London to Brussels instead of Flying.
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Re: Euro court extends passenger compensation
Embarrassing error! That flight was to Bangkok, not Budapest!
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Re: A Complete Guide to Buy Travel Insurance for your upcoming vacations
Just to add a personal note to these recommendations. I traveled for years without travel insurance, thinking that I could cover or recover lost reservations, luggage, etc. but friends' experiences made me realize that the medical and evacuation coverage is the real key. And then, a few years later we had an unexpected three-week hospitalization in Europe that ended with a medevac flight back to the U.S. The hospital bill was over $30,000 (much less than it would have been at home), and half...
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Re: Icelandair adds Montreal as 5th Canadian city
I've flown Icelandair several times. The fares are reasonable but there's nothing exceptional about the flight experience except the opportunity to visit Iceland at no extra charge. THAT is well worth doing!
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Re: 100 Years of Flight in Kitty Hawk, NC
I empathize with your rainy, muddy experience. That is no fun. As I recall, Kitty Hawk is also very windy, one of the reasons the Wright brothers chose it. They knew if they could fly their plane into the wind for some distance, no one could challenge the fact that they had flown a heavier than air machine. I regard this as one of the greatest stories of the 20th century. Two creative guys from a bicycle shop in the midwest designed and developed a successful flying machine. It didn't take a...
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Re: How to spend 24 hours in Dublin
I notice the only thing you didn't do in your 24 hours was sleep! I guess that's what the flight home is for. I'm somewhat older and have less energy than you, Seb. One of my favorite things to do in Dublin is to take a walk around St. James Park on a nice day. Or a stroll around Trinity College. But you definitely need to at least try the Guinness in Dublin. Even if you don't like Guinness elsewhere, the Guinness you get here has a better richer taste that stuff we get in North America.